The second offender is around 5ft 6ins tall, spoke with a lisp and was wearing a black T-shirt, a grey track suit top and possibly grey track suit bottoms with black trainers.

He also wore black gloves and a mask with holes cut out around his eyes and mouth.

One local man, who watched the dramatic police response, told the ECHO: “There were ambulances and police cars everywhere.

“They were parked up outside the fire station on Storrington Avenue before they shot off down Carr Lane with their sirens going.

“They arrived at Sovereign Road, one of the new flats there, and tried to get inside, around the back.

“Matrix officers turned up and the place was swarming with coppers.”

Crime scene investigators attended the scene and carried out a search as officers conducted house-to-house enquiries.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, or saw three men walking along Sovereign Road with bin bags, is asked to call DCI Chris Green at St Anne Street CID on 0151 777 4809, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.